October 20, 2009 at 12:52 pm (Uncategorized)
I have a neat photo story to tell you, and even some cute pictures of Archie (the big moose!). However, Firefox can’t access Flickr today. le sigh! Perhaps tomorrow!
Progress continues on the Boneyard shawl, as I am now knitting on the 5th skein. The pattern called for yardage equivalent to 6 of Knit Pick’s City Tweed DK, but you know me…must be bigger! Once I got used to doing the right-leaning M1 in addition to the left-leaning one I instinctively use, it has been a great TV/meeting/car knit.
October 12, 2009 at 8:46 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Meezers
Thank you for so many kind wishes and prayers for my beloved Minky.
She spent an overnight stay in the oxygen cage, then was able to come home on an even higher daily prednisone dose.
Dr. Jason is so in love with this cat! He keeps saying she is such a beautiful person, such a joy to treat. Five months ago, when we went through another crisis, he said if she required oxygen we would have to take her to the LSU Vet School Clinic, as he didn’t have the capability. Now he’s gotten an oxygen cage to treat her. That is so wonderful, as our vet’s new office is a short two blocks from here, at the edge of our subdivision. The Vet School is a 20 mile ride, which would be enough stress to push a sick cat over the edge.
Minky’s x-rays showed progression of her lung disease. The sad truth is that she probably won’t be one of the meezers that lives two decades. The good news is that we had a wonderful day yesterday, with Minky being more social and happy than she has been in months. As I write this, she is stretched out across my knees, supervising all typing. Do you know how hard it is to type with a paw and a chin on your left wrist? I love it!
October 9, 2009 at 9:11 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Meezers
Minky, my companion Meezer, has a history of asthma and one collapsed lung lobe.
She woke up at 5:30 in her spot between our pillows and stepped over me to stretch out along my left side. I realized she was breathing rapidly, about 60 breaths/minute, and waited to see if her breathing would settle down. It didn’t. Normally she gets her morning medicines at 7 am, but I decided to go ahead and give it at 5:40.
By the time I picked her up she was in full-blown respiratory distress, foaming at the mouth in a most unbecoming manner for a lady. I alerted DH, and we headed for the kitchen and the medicine drawer, where there was an emergency syringe of medicine for just such a situation. Now, I should fess up that in my lifetime I’ve given injections first as a paramedic, and then as an RN. This was my first cat injection, though, and it is still difficult to treat a “family member”. Minky tolerated it with good grace, as she does all treatments when she is ill.
We grabbed a waterproof pad (for the drooling), put it in her favorite chair and waited and watched. By the time her vet opened at 7:30 I had her respirations down to 30, and she was washing.
You know your cat is sick when there is complete silence on the ride to the vet’s office! Dr. Jason saw her promptly, bringing her straight back to the cat exam room so she wouldn’t stress over dawgs in the lobby. Just like an emergency room visit for a child, she got a breathing treatment and some oxygen…only her oxygen was in the form of an oxygen cage. Well, I guess that’s not that different from a crib with an oxygen tent.
The tech came out to the waiting room to tell me how well she had tolerated it all, and to say what a wonderful cat she is. Now we wait for several hours while she rests in the oxygen.
I came home to tell DH all the news, and as I glanced out the window near his shoulder I saw this.
There is the egret in the tree on the right, but do you see the second bird? I went out on the shore, and the sun came out from behind a cloud. Here, see the blue heron in the tree on the left?
That’s a lot of bird for those two little scrub trees!
Please keep Minky and those who love her in your prayers. St. Francis, remember this beloved cat.
October 7, 2009 at 10:02 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Archie, knitting
This June I was fortunate enough to win a blog prize from Margene of Zeneedle fame. She was not only generous, but also inquired of my favorite colors. I responded that I had never met a blue or a green I didn’t like (except green tea). Margene sent me this lovely gift package,
and the search was on for the perfect pattern to match the yarn.
The yarn was a generous 500 yards, and I didn’t want to use only a fraction of it. Several scarf patterns failed their auditions. The yarn waited, continuing to call to me softly from the safety of a cat-proof bag. Finally, I blew an afternoon scrolling through Ravelry patterns. Multnomah caught my eye, and the yarn was cast on before the printer ink dried. Eight days later it was ready for its close up.
The pattern called for 10 repeats and 412 yards of yarn. This yarn, Brooklyn Handspun’s Soft Spun, Winters Welcome had that wonderful 500 yards, allowing me to knit 15 repeats. I love a generous shawl, and haven’t found a place in my life for “shawl-lets”.
Would you have believed this could be knit from a skein of sock yarn? I’m so happy!
Multnomah reached FO stage just in time. Yesterday the mailman brought my KnitPicks’s package containing eight skeins of City Tweed DK, the Tabby color. I’d been looking for a project for this yarn ever since Knitnana started talking about knitting a shawl with City Tweed. Right after Multnomah hit the blocking board I cast on Stephen West’s Boneyard Shawl.
This pattern is intended for a tweed yarn, and the City Tweed doesn’t disappoint. Its alpaca content makes you want to keep on knitting, keep on petting the yarn. Again, I’ve bought more yarn than the pattern called for because I want a shawl to snuggle in. (What is it with these dinky shawls that look like big neckerchiefs? Instant gratification, I suppose.)
Archie is growing like a weed, up to 9 pounds from the 5 pounds 4 ounces he weighed when he arrived, 
and calming down only a bit. He spent some kitty nap time in DH’s lap yesterday for the first time. Blocking my shawl was a whole ‘nother adventure, though. I might as well have been waving a kitty lazer about as threading the wires through the shawl. Archie made several frantic and successful jumps onto the blocking board before he was banished to the guest room. Once the shawl was blocked I took the entire board out to the garage to dry, and released the less-than-repentant Archie to pillage and burn once more.
October 1, 2009 at 9:38 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Eastlake Scarf, knitting
It’s time to enjoy some fall color. Actually, that’s a wishful statement on my part. Louisiana has been seeing more fall color in the trees in recent years, but it won’t happen for many weeks to come. Yet we have our moments of thrilling color. Yesterday, when I walked down our driveway to check the mail I dawdled a bit while the garbage crew passed. This bit of red caught my eye.
That is a pod of magnolia berries. In fact, if you look closely (where, indeed, is Waldo?) you can see more. I stepped nearer to peer into the center of the tree, and to get a better picture for you.
Isn’t that a beautiful red? I turned my head slightly, and then saw that there were many stalks!
Right about then I stopped smiling altogether! I made the terrible discovery that I was standing on a fire ant hill. Youch! One ant ran around my ankle, leaving five bites like an ankle bracelet. DH will get out with the proper insecticide to treat the hill today.
There is knitting color to show you, too. Monday I finished my Eastlake Scarf by Norah Gaughan. 
The yarn is from my stash, 2 skeins of Knit Picks Swish DK in Pale Lemon. Norah’s sample is knit in olive, and looks like stylized leaves. My scarf, knit in the pale lemon, reminds me of ripe wheat. 
I am very pleased with the outcome, and eagerly await cooler, scarf-appropriate weather.
September 29, 2009 at 7:32 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Archie
There are piteous wails coming from our guest room this morning. Archie has been unceremoniously shut in since 7 pm last night. The food and water dishes were removed, and there has been no mercy!
In a few minutes I’m going to pop him in his cat stroller and walk him to the vet. As Gary Larson drew in his Far Side cartoon, he’s “going to the vet to get tutored!” While he is “sleeping through class” there, we will also have him micro-chipped.
I’m hoping that with less kitty testosterone around the house his Kato traits may go recessive. So do the meezers!
Sorry the blog was quiet for so long. I had a little health scare last week, and it took until yesterday to get all the test results back. As I suspected, all was normal, and they patted me on the head and said “there, there, dear”. DH insists it was worth every penny, so if he’s happy, I’m happy.
September 15, 2009 at 6:41 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting
Last week I had to take DD to a dental appointment. (She doesn’t drive, and her husband had to work.) There I was, knitting away (surprise, surprise!) on a mitten, and came to the point where the thumb should go on a piece of waste yarn. At home I keep a small left-over ball of crochet thread just for the purpose. I reached for the crochet thread and realized it was just that…at home.
It was early in the appointment, and the prospect of actually waiting in the waiting room loomed before my eyes. Horrors! Grasping for threads, I went to the reception desk with my knitting in hand, and begged for 8 inches of dental floss. They gave me a whole package of my very own! Now, for the finicky knitter, I should mention that it is difficult to get a good tight knot in waxed dental floss. Other than that, life is good.
September 14, 2009 at 7:14 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Archie, family
Do you recall the Pink Panther movies, where Inspector Clouseau had arranged with his servant, Cato, to attack him by surprise? It was part of Clouseau’s training, to be ready at any time. Cato usually attacks at the most inconvenient times. Here is one of the better clips.
That is what life has been like with Archie. Oh, he looks innocent here, 
but believe me, we spend a lot of time yelling “Not now, Cato!” Just try walking across a quiet room, and suddenly there Archie is, wrapped around one of your knees, claws out, gnawing off your kneecap in mock attack.
We celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary this week, and DH, as is his custom, bought beautiful flowers to mark the occasion.
Aren’t they lovely? DH is very fond of fall colors, thus our September anniversary. Who wouldn’t love flowers and candle light?
Perhaps you have guessed that DH’s custom is to give flowers in honor of our anniversary to St. Patrick’s Episcopal. Here is the full view. 
I think they were absolutely lovely! Thank you, dear. I feel very celebrated!
September 2, 2009 at 8:28 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting technology, socks
The course I am taking requires us to write a spiritual biography at the beginning of the year. This year the format asks that we describe our life in terms of friends, physical life, and play life. If I were writing about my play life for you to read, I would simply refer to the knitting/blogging/Ravelry lifestyle. However, for these muggles I have a lot of explaining to do. The nuances will still be lost, I fear.
I finished my Mother’s Day socks last night. DD gave me yarn for two pairs of socks; this pair is Knit Picks Essential in Peacock Multi (purple/green/robin’s egg blue).
It’s perfect: she loves purple, and her name is Robyn. The cuff was knit in 2 x 2 rib. When the yarn behaved very nicely in that pattern, I carried it on for the whole sock.
Alison blogged about having to re-learn Kitchener stitch after a long time of not using it. As I read her blog, I was reminded of today’s tech tip. The most versatile knitting tool you have in your purse is a cell phone with another knitter’s phone number in the contacts. You see, I often take socks as my road-trip knitting. Last year I had to call my knitting DD in Texas several times to tell me how to set up the Kitchener stitch. I can do the stitch with the best of them once I get started–my mind just can’t keep the pattern stored. Finally, I saw and purchased a Kitchener dog tag key chain from Knitcellaneous. It’s a delightful gadget, and I never leave home without it.
August 28, 2009 at 8:12 am (Uncategorized)
My birthday is tomorrow, and I’ve received a most unusual present. It was delivered by a handsome young man, wearing a tux. He walked into our courtyard, up to the front porch, and politely asked for a meal. His manners were impeccable, and he seemed like a really friendly fellow. Who could refuse such a request?
Two days later, he returned, once again hungry. DH greeted him this time, and reported really enjoying his company. DH raised the question of inviting our young man to stay with us. We have plenty of room in our home, but what would the Meezers think? The young fellow attired in a tux is feline, you see.
I would never have asked for him because I know DH has had allergies to domestic cat fur. This boy has a coat that is shorter than the Meezers, and even outdoors keeps it impeccably shiny. I guess neither of us could bear the thought of him being caught by the hawk that circles the lake, or hit by a car, or a dozen other fates that await an outdoor cat.
First, though, before he could be brought into our household, he had to be tested for feline leukemia and FIV. I popped him into our cat stroller and walked the two blocks to the vet. Now, our Meezers have been outside only for such trips, and the novelty of all those smells usually distracts them. Not this boy – he’d been there, done that. So what was it with the rolling cage? ! Once at the vet, his marvelous people skills resurfaced. The techs took him off to have blood drawn, and returned, raving over him. It seems he cooperated fully with them, purring loudly throughout the whole procedure. When he got back to the exam room he was draped across the vet tech’s arms, enjoying the praise.
The labs came back clear, and the next hurdle arrived: name, please. He had to have a chart and a rabies tag in his name. DH and I had discussed several names, and settled on one. I told the vet we would call him Archie, but I reserved the right to change it if Archie didn’t care for the name. Our vet chuckled, and said that would be just fine.
Archie is at home in our guest room, where he is to be isolated for at least a week. Like many kittens and young cats he has worms, and has received his first dose of worming medicine. Specimens must be pronounced clear by the vet before he can mingle with the Meezers. That’s fine by me. New cats in our home have always been introduced that way. Not only do we isolate for any surprise viruses, but also as a way of introducing the newcomer. Muttering is allowed under the door. One day the door will casually be left unlatched, and informal greetings can proceed. 
Archie says “Hey, I’m eating here! Do you mind?”
All in all, he is quite a birthday present. Oh, and DH spent a night sleeping in the guest room with Archie, with no ill effect. Keep your paws and fingers crossed that all will go well with our handsome youngest.
